Former Super Eagles’ player and Under- 17 assistant coach, Nduka Ugbade, has warned the national team not to take Algeria for granted in their second duel in the World Cup qualifiers billed for Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on November 12.
Tactically, reviewing the victorious 2-1 away win against Zambia, Ugbade rated the Super Eagles high after the Ndola outing, saying that the team played with a class of discipline and determination, but stressed that the team needs to increase its speed and ability to make good decisions with the ball.
Nigeria went to Ndola, Zambia and grabbed a-three-point lead in the group, which also has Cameroon and Algeria. “For the first time, I saw a great team from Nigeria.
The players played tactfully with perfect passes from the midfield to the attack. Mikel and Onazi were fantastic and the defensive line-up gave good account of themselves.The players marked the Zambians very well and Eagles scored beautiful goals. The combination between Kelechi Iheanacho and Brown Ideye was wonderful. Alex Iwobi and Moses Simon were excellent but they need to increase the tempo of their aggressiveness against Algeria next month,” he said.
The former Golden Eaglets’ skipper commended the Eagles’ midfielders for holding firm the ball but blamed them for not blocking the opponent enough when the chips were down. According to him, the Eagles’ defensive midfielders went to bed in the second half against Zambia, and thus urged them to be fully fit and ready to fight the battle to the end.
“When the opponent is pressing for an equaliser, Eagles must make the midfield a bit complex. They must learn how to play some complex attacking football. The strength and determination must increase. The team should be more determined and the level of discipline must be strictly maintained,” Ugbade told The Point.
He however advised Eagles to take the home game seriously because it would slow down the tempo of their game.
“It will not be easy to win at home due to the fact that their tactics would be based on defensive football. The pressure would be there, as Nigerians would come to the stadium with high expectations and the players should learn how to utilise set-pieces. They should also learn how Algeria play their games. It is very important. I know Coach Gernot Rohr is equal to the task ahead of him,” he said.
